


It's Not The Waking, It's The Raising

by stolenshiney



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autistic Zuko (Avatar), Gay Zuko (Avatar), Gen, M/M, Not Beta Read, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, Trans Zuko (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, also this was written on my phone so do with that what u will, bare with me on this bc the gaang wont show up fir a lil while, bc im autistic, charactders will probably be ooc bc i havent saw atla in a while, friends to lovers ish?, kt wont take too long but still, oh im dyslexic so if theres any spelling mjstakes im sorry but feel free to point them out, sokka is pining for zuko i promise, this is a v self indulgent au, zuko being trans isnt a really big lart of the story but it is there, zuko never tries to capture aang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2020-12-23 17:24:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21085076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stolenshiney/pseuds/stolenshiney
Summary: Zuko was a disgraced prince who was meant to be hunting the Avatar. He was 13 and sent on an impossible mission, but instead of trying to proove himself to his father, zuko flees the ship as soon as he sees whats happened to him.Around his eye, where his burn should be, are shining red scales that get darker as they get closer to his eye.





	1. One

“You will learn respect, and suffering will be you’re teacher.”

Zuko awoke with a start, his hand flying up to his face to reassure himself that what he saw was just a horrific nightmare – that his father did not burn his face and banish him, sending him on an impossible quest to regain his honour. But when his fingers touched bandages he knew that it was the truth, he was cast out from his own home and his father hated him. He was pathetic, unable to even defend himself against his father. 

The ship – ship? He was on a ship? Who’s ship? His? Zuko had a million questions and absolutely no answers – swayed, and Zuko swayed with it. He hated being out at water.

He growled and tore the bandage from around his eye, wanting to see the damage his father – Ozai, the firelord, his father – had done to him. His vision was blurry in that eye, and his eyebrow was completely gone, but the most notable trait by far was the massive burn scar over his eye – only it wasn’t really a scar, instead it was more like scales, like those of a snake, covering the place where his burn should be. 

His fingers glided over the scales and he winced, they where tender and sore to touch and clearly they where still healing from his fathers attack.

“What... what is going on?” He whispered to himself as he frantically tried to put his torn bandages back on. He could only pray to Agni and every other spirit he could possibly.think of that no one else had noticed how his burn wasn’t exactly a burn. 

He needed to leave soon, it wasn’t safe for him to be so close to fire nation soldiers – especially when he was different. Different never bodes well within the fire nation after all, especially for those who have already upset the nation enough for banishment.

“As soon as we get to land,” Zuko whispered, quietly packing a small bag to make his escape easier when it came. “As soon as we get to land.”

The ship – his ship? no one would answer him when he asked, though it isnt like it'll matter for long – docked in some Earth Nation Village, and Zuko told his uncle he was going to look around at the markets and see if there was anything good.

“I need to think about what happened, about what this means.” He had said, and whilst true, he still felt guilty about with holding his plans from his Uncle. 

But he had to, it was for his own safety. If his father burnt him for simply speaking out if turn – and disgracing him, dishonouring him, questioning his skill – then what would happen if the Fire Lord found out about the scales. Or the slit pupil that he had noticed that morning when changing his bandages. 

He simply couldn’t risk staying with fire nation soldiers.

“Goodbye Uncle!” He called out as he left, breaking into a run as soon as he was out if the crews sight. Now, to figure out where he was meant to go. Or, well, first he had find something more appropriate to wear than fire nation attire, and then figure out where he was at that moment.

Luckily both problems had quick solutions, as he purchased some cheap earth kingdom clothing before asking the vender the name of village he was in.  
“I came here with my uncle, but I can’t remember what he said this place was called,” he had asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly before handing the man his money.

“Sea Port Village.” The vender had said as he took the child’s payment.

“Ah, t-that makes sense.” Zuko had said before quickly making his way into the forest at the back of the village. He changed into the Earth Kingdom clothes, realising these greens really weren’t hid colour. Oh well, he would just have to deal with it.

He left his old fire nation clothes in a heap beside a tree, taking only his bag of food, a bedroll and the dagger his uncle had given him.

Now, to think of a new name, one that screamed Earth Kingdom. And maybe a semi-decent cover story too.


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko runs. He runs, and runs and runs, until he was so out of breath that he thought it impossible to ever truly breathe right again. His breath is quick and painful, all the things a fire nation Prince’s breath should never be, he was supposed to have amazing breath control after all. But he didn’t and he wasn’t a fire nation prince anymore either, not really. He keeps his feet on the ground, for a while he avoids fights whenever he could, he can’t afford to draw attention to himself after all, not so soon after leaving his uncle. Not so soon after being half blinded and running off on his own – he can’t afford any conflict, he can’t afford to slip up.

So he stops bending, using his fire only when its dark and he’s sure no one is around to see him, in order to fight the numbing coldness the night brings to his fingers. Instead he learns to punch and kick and scream his way out of conflict - he’s too stubborn to be caught and defeated by the people who try to rob him, thinking he’s an easy target because he’s young and alone. And he was, the first time someone who was at least a foot taller than him and twice as wide came up to Zuko whilst be was traveling the man had left the teen with nothing but a black eye, the clothes on his back and the dagger he kept tucked away in his boot. 

Zuko wasn’t so naive after that - he fought every fight like he was dying, and was much too stubborn to ever stay down – and by the time he was four villages away from Sea Port Village, four villages away from the only family he had left, he has built himself a small reputation. The feisty kid who refuses to stay down, the boy who fights until he can’t anymore and then fights some more. 

He thinks his Uncle would be disappointed in him. He doesn’t let himself care.

When he is four villages away he sees for the first time how cruel his nation can be. The fire nation soldiers stationed in this small, poor, village are demanding an impossible about of money from a starving man, a man who lives on the streets and already has so very little, before deciding to just take everything the man has. Zukos blood boils, his face flushes with anger, and his clenched fists shake – was this really what the fire nation was like? Praying on the innocent and defenceless? Something i him snarls at the thought, tells him that the fire nation should be better, that it was great and kind once. Zuko tries to ignore it, to insist that these soldiers where outliers and the army wasn’t all this corrupt, the fire nation was still good. This was an exception, not a rule.

But what about what Ozai did to you? How he burnt your face simply for disagreeing with senseless slaughter? Was that right and good too? 

Zuko pushed the thought to the back of his mind, instead he focused on how he could stop these soldiers and help that poor old man.

It was wrong and immoral what these six people had done, it went against everything his mother and uncle had taught him about kindness and respect, and Zuko found himself wanting to fight those soldiers for their cruelty, to get that man his money back and stop those corrupt and evil men from abusing their power over the poor. But he couldn’t. He was thirteen, he couldn’t beat six fully trained fire nation soldiers, so instead he walked over to the begging man and handed him some money.

“Thank you, son, the spirits will bless you for your kindness,” the man said as he shook Zukos hand, “What’s your name, child?”

“Lee.” Zuko has said, giving the man the best smile he could manage before ending the handshake.

He didn’t stay in that village long, the thought of being known sent shivers up his spine, he didn’t like the fact that people could recognize him. So as soon as he was back in the woods and away from people he took out his dagger and cut through his long hair – the cut was choppy, messy, and definitely looked like it had been done by himself, but as he stared down at the long black hair on the floor, and touched the hair that now just barely passed his ears, he felt lighter. 

The next morning he grabbed the cut hair and burnt it, before he started moving again. He couldn’t leave any trace behind, he couldn’t let anyone find him, though he wasn’t sure if anyone was even looking for him.

He didn’t know if he wanted them to. Zuko was safer alone, and his uncle was safer without him there – it was better if he never looked for him. Still, Zuko hopes that he’ll see a missing poster, or overhear idle gossip about his disappearance.

He never does.

He’s in another town by the next evening, and whilst camping just outside of the town he’s visiting, Zuko realises that he likes this new found freedom he has. He likes being able to choose his own path, to figure out his own way, and maybe banishment wasn’t the worst thing to happen to him.

He starts to wonder if he would have ever felt this happy, this content, if he had simply did everything his mother, father, sister, uncle, told him to. He doesn’t think he would, and whilst he knows that the anger in his veins would never truly leave him he thinks that maybe he could put it to good use this way.

He promises to beat those soldiers, to become strong enough to protect those who can’t fight for themselves. He lifts his hand and carefully touches the still painful scales – he knows how they feel after all, and some part of him wishes that someone had fought for him when he couldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait n size of this chapter :/

**Author's Note:**

> elsa,,, this ones 4 u ♡♡♡


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